Drenched in the colours of joy

From Braj and Nandgaon, Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh to the quaint Sangla village in Himachal, witness the most soulful Holi celebrations in these destinations.

Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated across the country with great zeal in different and unique ways. This year, it falls on March 18. For two consecutive years, the celebrations had to be toned down due to the pandemic. But in 2022, Holi enthusiasts want to make up for lost time by enjoying the occasion thoroughly — and travelling is always a great way to do that. Here are some places one can visit this Holi to have a blast!

Holi celebrate at Bake Bihari Temple, Vrindavan.

In Braj, Nandgaon, Vrindavan and Barsana, the celebration begins a month ahead of Holi and continues for a few days afterwards. “Though the popular Lathmar Holi, Ladoo Mar Holi and Phoolo Ki Holi have already been played on Ekadashi and days before, one can experience the dynamic and colourful Holi at Vrindavan (2.5-hour drive from Delhi) on the day itself. Don’t forget to taste the scrumptious malpuas,” says Rahul Upadhyay, founder of travel company Trips24*7.

In Sangla, the festival, known as Faugli festival, is celebrated to worship the local deities.

To soak in the traditional Holi festivities, Himachal Pradesh is another option. “In the Kinnaur district, Holi celebration in a quaint village of Sangla is very famous. Sangla comes on the way to Spiti Valley, and can be reached in 10 hours from Delhi by road. The festival, known as Faugli festival, is celebrated to worship the local deities. There is a riot of colours, and people dance to traditional folk music, perform skits and have special wine called phasur. Residents also prepare a special meal that includes a local bread called chilta. Sangla Holi is said to be one of those experiences that every traveller needs to add to their bucket list,” says Needhi Bharmani, founder of Beyond Postcard, a travel company.

In the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Palampur organises a four-day Holi fest every year, nine hours away from Delhi. “It’s a state-level fair that lasts up to a week. The festival starts at Kali Mata Mandir. Various dance performances are organised. The town also arranges Shobha Yatra that requires walking around the town with festivities, followed by a wrestling competition. Wrestlers from far-off states come to participate. There is a unique dog show, for which people train their pets round the year. The celebration is incomplete without piping hot jalebis and pakoras,” adds Bharmani.

Nihangs performing Gatka skils during the Hola Mohalla festival at Anandpur Sahib. (Photo: Sanjeev Sharma/Hindustan Times)

Punjab, a seven-hour drive from Delhi, celebrates the festival with lots of thrill. Jinali Sutaria, co-founder of TravelStoriesByUs, had taken part in the festivities a few years ago. She shares, “They call it ‘Hola Mohalla’, which is celebrated a day after Holi by the Nihang Sikhs. We also had an opportunity to experience their special martial arts, including chakkar spinning, horsemanship, swordsmanship, tent pegging, and other war-like sports. Later in the evening, we had great fun with colours. Halwas, puris, gujias, raw jackfruit and malpuas are an essential part of the festival. Kirtans and poetry competitions are also held.”

The Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain turns into a foray of colours on Holi. Thandai and purukiyas are local delicacies from the place one shouldn’t miss. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple for the festivities.

In Hampi, Holi is celebrated on the banks of Tungabhadra river.

Hampi in Karnataka, too, attracts a lot of millennial and foreign travellers for Holi. “Locals welcome the spring season with drums and dances. Holi is celebrated on the banks of Tungabhadra river. When you see Holi played in the ruins of Vijayanagar kingdom, it gives you a glimpse of the celebrations during the middle ages,” says Bharmani.